Roller skate



Oct. 12,1937. K. o. s. WETTERSTRAND 2,095,942

ROLLER SKATE Filed May 29, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTOR t 0. Wma/ w ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1937. K. b. a. WETTERSTRAND ROLLER SKATE F iled May 29, 1935 v Sheets-Sheet 2 ha ATTORNEY INVENTOR lib/W K. o. s. WETTERSTRAND ROLLER SKATE Filed May 29, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 NW 'lllllll 'IIIII!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIll g h/ INVENTOR M ATTORNEY Patented Oct. '12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE 11 Claims.

invention relates to new and useful improvements in roller skates and has for its main object the provision of a combined shoe with-rollers aflixed thereto, which may be moved into an inoperative position wherein the shoe may be of service and worn in the usual manner. Another object is to provide a shoe which is equipped with rollers that may be normally en-.

closed in a recess in the heel and which. may be moved into locations to provide the shoe with roller skating means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and aceompanying drawingswhich show the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference numerals indicate similar parts and wherein, 1 I

In the drawings:

Fig.1 shows a front elevation of the shoe with rollers in operative position.

Fig. 2 shows a, plan view of the bottom of the shoe with the rollers inoperative position.

vi'ded and the sole of the shoe I3 may 40 Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the shoe with rollers in inoperative position.

Fig. 4 a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. -3.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 shows a modification wherein runners are substituted for the .rollers.

Fig. '8 is-a section. taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

- Fig. 9 is a detail view of a modified form of the lower support...

'Fig. 10 is a plan view provided.

Fig. 11 is Fig. 10. V v

Referring to Figs.,1 and 2, a shoe I2 of any suitable, well-known form and style may be proor a heel with a covering and embedded therein "a metallic plate I4 on which will be affixed guide inembers I5 cooperating with a key-shaped member I6 (Fig. 6) so as to form a grooved track or guideway in which the members may be freely slid back and forth along the sole of the shoe. Securely fixedto the member I 6 is a bracket I I which supports a roller I 8. This roller may be of any suitable material but in the preferred embodiment .a molded material is shown which is molded into a tubular bearing member I9 having its ends formed over to form a ball race for the balls 20. Shaft.2l is journaled in' the bracket I 'I and is provided with an enlarged head 22 at one end and a threaded portion at the other for receiving screw 23. Collars 24 are provided a section taken 'on line II--II of have fixed with the formed over portion of the tubular bearing member I9. The bracket I1 is provided with two threaded apertures 25 into which are screwed wing bolts 26. These wing bolts may be screwed up to abut the guideway I5 and clamp the roller 5 into position to prevent its sliding. The previous description is that of the forward roller of the shoe. The rear roller is mounted in an identi cal manner on a bracket 21 which is hinged at 28 to the heel. The bracket 21 has an upwardly extendl0 ing projection 28:; integral therewith which cooperates with the back of the heel. The heel is reinforced by a metallic shell 29 which surrounds the heel and is provided with an insert 30 which is threaded to receive wing bolt 3| so that when the roller is in the position in Fig.7, the wing-bolt is screwed into the insert 30 to hold the rear roller firmly in position.

The heel of the shoe is provided with metallic side walls 32 for strength and rigidity and is provided with a recess by being hollowed out with the exception of the rear section which has a somewhat thicker wall 33 of leather or other suitable material. 'A metallic annular ledge 34 is provided and supporting-braces 35 extend from this lower 5 ledge to the heel forreinforcing the same. The guideway I5 extends along the sole and into the opening of the heel, there being an opening at the forward edge of the heel. When it is desired to place the rollers in inoperative position so that the shoe may be worn in normal use without the rollers, the wing bolts 26 and 3| are loosened.

The rear roller is swung clockwise about its pivot 28 into the hollowed-out portion of the heel, and the forward roller is slid rearwardly along the guideway and into the heel and clamped into position, thus locking the rear roller in the recess of the heel as shown in Fig. 5. A grooved cover 3!: may be provided which may be slid into the bottom of the heel to provide a completeenclosure for the rollers when in inoperative position.

Fig. 7 shows a modification in which a runner has replaced the rollers. The rollers may be removed by unscrewing the screw 23 and withdrawing the shaft 2|. With the brackets I1 and 21 then located in their operative position, a runner 39 riveted to a tubular structure 40 and mounted by suitable methods to a supporting bearing 4I (Fig. 8) may be fastened to the brackets by means of wing bolts 42 cooperating with threaded holes in the supporting structure 4|. These supporting structures would be amxed and located on the tubular members 40 -to cor respond with the posi- --tions of the brackets I1 and 21. on this shaft to form the ball race in cooperation.

11: event skates 0!. this type are used, the runners may be removed, when their use is terminated, by unscrewing the wing bolts 42 to remove the nmners and then move the brackets I1 and 21 into the heel as previously described in connection with Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 shows a modified form of the supporting brackets l1 and 21 for rendering the exchange of rollers and runners easier. In this modification a portion of the bracket is cut away as at 45 and a portion 46 is countersunk to engage a conical formed end of the wing bolt 42 as shown in Fig. 8 at 41. The engagement of this countersunk portion with the conical portion would satisfactorily prevent disengagement of the runner or roller when clamped firmly for use.

The rollers 18 are formed in the shape of a truncated ellipsoid having their longitudinal dimension greater than their diametrical dimension. This permits the shoe or foot to be rocked transversely to the direction of rotation of the roller to facilitate fancy figure skating and turning. The small diameter of the wheel and its extreme width creates less strain on the ankle and makes the skates less tiring to novices and children.

In the use of the roller skates, for example, a child may skate to school and upon arrival he may move the rollers into the heel portion as shown in Figs. and 3 and as previously described, and proceed to his classroom wearing the same shoes without the use of the rollers. Also in factories where messengers use roller skates while delivering mail and orders from a central dispatch oilice, while the messengers are working in the office the rollers may be kept concealed in the heel and moved into their operative position when the messenger leaves the oflice to make his rounds in the shop.

While the fundamental novel features of the invention have been described and pointed out, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend to be limited therefore only as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

1. A shoe having a sole and a heel with a recess, guiding means in the sole extending longitudinally of the shoe and into the recess and a roller supporting bracket slidably mounted in said guiding means.

2. A shoe having a heel witha recess, and a .roller supporting bracket pivoted to said heel, a roller mounted on said bracket, and means for swinging said roller and bracket entirely. within said recess.

3. A shoe having a heel with arecess, front and rear rollers positioned within said heel and means for moving said rollers externally of said heel to flxed locations at the front and rear of said shoe respectively.

4. A combination shoe and roller skate, including a heel having a recess, a roller bracket pivotally mounted 'on said heel and normally lying within said recess, whereby said roller may be swung out of said recess into operative position.

5. A combination shoe and roller skate, including a heel having a recess, a roller bracket pivotally mounted on said heel and normally lying within said recess, whereby said roller may be swung out of said recess into operative position, and means for locking said roller into operative position.

6. A combination shoe and roller skate including a heel having a recess, a sole having a guideway extending substantially the length of the sole, a roller supporting bracket slidably mounted in said guideway and normally positioned within said recess, said bracket being slidable along said guideway and into operable position.

7. A combination shoe and roller skate including a heel having a recess, a sole having a guideway extending substantially the length of the sole, a roller supporting bracket slidably mounted in said guideway and normally positioned within said recess, said bracket being slidable along said guideway and into operable position, and means for locking said bracket in said roller in operative position.

8. A combination shoe and roller skate including a heel having a recess, a sole having a guideway extending substantially the length of said sole, a forward roller and a rear roller normally positioned within said recess, said forward roller being slidable along said guideway into operative position and said rear roller pivotable on the heel, into operable position.

I 9. A shoe having a sole and a heel with a recess, a pair of brackets adjustably mounted on said shoe adapted to have either rollers or runners mounted thereon, said brackets being movable into said recess without being removed from the shoe.

10. A shoe having a recess, a skating roller movable into the recess, a carrier for the roller and means movably mounting the carrier on the shoe for movement into a position in which the roller is concealed in said recess and into an alternative position external of the recess in which the roller is in skating position outside the recess.

11. In a combined shoe and roller skate, a single recess in one portion of said shoe, a plurality of rollers with carriers for each roller movably mounted on said shoe and a plurality oi. carriers for supporting said rollers, said carriers being movably mounted to said shoe whereby said carriers and rollers may be moved to fit within said single recess.

KNUT O. G. WET'I'ERSTRAND. 

